There is a truth many institutions still struggle to accept: when young people lead, they don’t just continue systems, they change them. They bring urgency where there was delay, inclusion where there was distance, and energy where things have grown stagnant. The leadership of Dr Abdullahi Mustapha as Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria reflects this reality clearly.
He has shown that youth leadership is not about age, but about mindset, access, and action.
For years, young Nigerians have been told to wait their turn. Dr. Mustapha’s approach rejects that idea. He places young people at the center of development, not at the edge of it. Through scholarships and structured opportunities, he treats education as more than support—it becomes investment. A signal that young people are not just future leaders, but current contributors.
He also understands that youth development cannot be limited to classrooms. Through basketball competitions, he created spaces where young people learn discipline, teamwork, and resilience in real time. These are not side activities; they are part of building character and leadership capacity.
But what makes his approach stand out even more is his understanding of connection. By bringing influential figures into youth-centered spaces, including Davido, he bridged a gap many young people live with daily—the gap between aspiration and access. For many youths, it wasn’t just an appearance. It was visibility. It was proximity to someone they admire. It was proof that their world is not ignored.
At the grassroots level, his inclusion of market women reinforces the same principle: leadership must meet people where they are. Not where it assumes they should be.
This is what shifts when youth are truly empowered in leadership spaces. Systems become more human. Decisions become more relatable. And impact becomes immediate, not distant.
Dr. Abdullahi Mustapha’s example is clear: when youth lead—or when leadership thinks like youth—things move differently. Faster. Closer to the people. With more heart.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely daydreaming.”
– Onono Onimisi Arafat writes from Abuja.
